Check writer



Mlm 23. LMWHUB C, G. TIEFEL. CHECK WRITER. FILED MAR4 18, 192|. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 IN V EN TOR.

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(GldfitiltlFS G. TlFFlL, ROCHESTER, YQlRllIl, SlGlilUR 'F0 EDDF FRUTEC'FGRMFH GMFANY, ENG., F '.ltGCESTlEF, YORK.

CHECK WRITJEFL.

application tiled March 1t, lem. serial tto. tanteo.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it lrnown that l, CHARLES G. Timone, citizen of the United States, residing at Rochester, in the county ot Monroe4 and Sty-ate oi3 New York, have invented. certain new and useful improvements in Check Writers, of which the following is aI specication.

. This invention relates generally to printing machines, and has particular reference to machines used ttor printing limiting inscriptions upon bank checks or other valuable instruments.

ln the accompanying drawings the iml provements are shown embodied in a machine oi the type fully shown and described in U. S. Letters Patent lilo. 1,138,330, issued May l, i915, to Libanus h/l. rlodd and `Charles Ur. 'llieiel @ne trouble users have experienced with such machines is that oc-A casionally the operators attention may be distracted while writing the amount upon a check, and he cannot remember just where he lett oil. lle must then examine the check to see how much oi the amount has been printed. or il he thinks he remembers where he left oil" he may be mistaken, and .as result may repeat the last word printed and thereby spoil the checlr. As checks are usually serially .numbered and must usually all he accounted for in some way, a spoiled check is a source of some troublel and annoyance. Une object of theV present invention is to provide a mechanism which will indicate to the operator whether the last impression intended to be made has actually made, and prevent him from erroneously repeating an impression and thereby spoiling the ctieck. felome such mechanism is` particularly desirable in machines lconstructed to disrupt the libres of the paper as an incident to printing, as such machines incorporate the printlnUu ink with the'iibresV oil the paper to such a degree that it. is practically'impossible to malte an erasure preparatory to printing the correct matter.

` AZltnother object of the invention. is to provide an improved construction ot the cooperating impression faces oi? the type and platen whereby thebre disrupting function will be performed in a very effective way 'without at the same time materially weakening the paper.

With these and incidental objects in view the invention consists in certain novel tea tures of construction and combinations of parts, the essential .elements of which are set forth in appended claims and a preferred form of embodiment oi which is herein after described with reference to the drawings which. accompany and torni a part ot' this specication.

@t said drawings: Y

Fig.` l. is a longitudinal section through a Inlachine or the 'lodd and Tietel type, with the present improvements applied thereto.

Fig.I 2 Vshows on an enlarged scale the construction of the impression faces of the type.

Figs. 3 and l are respectively a development of and z a partial section through the platen, and show the' construction of the impression face of the platen.

Fig. 5 shows an enlarged scale the appearance oi' the printing edected by the improved construction. l

Fig. 6 is a reverse view of the impression shown in Fig. 5 and Shows the way the co-operating faces-oil the type and platen act in disrupting the fibres oil the paper.

Fig. 7 is a bottom view ot the machine locking mechanism, with the parts in the positions they occupy just before the lock is rendereded'ective. Y y

Fig. 8 is a section onthe line 8-"-8','"Fig. l.

Fig. 9 is a section on the line 9-9, Fig. l.

Fig. l0 is the same as Fig. 9, except that Some oit' the parts are shown in a diifem s is well known in the art, the' Todd and 'liefel machine used tor illustrative purposes has a type carrier which is la'd justable to different positions to select the rrrat'ter to be printed, and is then rotatable with the selected type in engagement with a rotary platen to ellcct the printing. The adjustment of the type is edected by selective devices comprising a dial or index for guiding the operator to get the `right.adjustrnent, while the printingr operation ot the carrier and platen is ed'ected by means of a driving mechanism comprising any impression or operating handle. 'lhe improvement provides mechanism whereby operation oi"Y the impression handle to print a word which roe lltlli llltl should not be repeated sets a locking mechanism which prevents movingthe handle a second time until the lock is released. This release is,l effected by an operation of the type selecting mechanism. In other words, after the machine has been operated to print from a type form the lock is set so that another operation of the impression handle is prevented until the type carrier has been given another adjustment. The operator is therefore automatically prevented from accidentally repeating an impression by an incorrect second operation of the impression handle, while, at the same time, if he is in any doubt, by trying the impression handle to see if it is locked, he will be able to tell Whetherthe'last 'form selected has been printed from, and this in connection with a comparison of the type selecting device with the matter to` be printed will indicate the next step to take incompleting the printing of lthe inscription. 'While, as Will be clearer later on, this idea can be used to advantage in man different kinds of machines, it is particu:- laily valuable in machines which do the printing in such a Way that erasures for correcting purposes cannot readily be made.

In the Todd and Tiefe] machine the cooperating impression faoesof the type and platen are provided with complementary ridges and grooves which, as they mesh together with the paper between them, disrupt the libres of the paper as an incident to printing. It has been found preferable to have these ridges and grooves extend in a truly circumferential direction, or parallel to the planes of rotation of the type carrier and platen. As the lengths of the ridges on the type are limited only by the widths of the type faces, however, this circumferential arrangement oi' the ridges and grooves results in the paper being disrupted. torn, or slitted in lines of appreciable length parallel to the length of the printed line, and if a poor quality of paper is usedit is likely to tear in handling. The likelihood of this may be lessened by having the ridges and grooves run substantially parallel to the axes.

of the type carrier andplaten, or it may be further-lessened by having the impression faces of the type and platen provided with co-operating points and sockets acting on `the die and counter die principle to puncture the paper instead o' disrupting, tearing or slitting it in lines. Either of these constructions, however, requires gearing or other mechanism vfixing a definite relation'between lthe movements of the type carrier and platen so as to insure reasonably accurate registration of the ridges and grooves or points and sockets when the type and platen come together to perform their functions. The present inventiongives the advantages of the inodicatons just mentioned, so .far

as the effec-t upomthe paper is concerned. without its being necessary to use gearing or other mechanism to maintain a definite meshing relation between the type and platen. This is accomplished `by having the ridges on either the type or platen unbroken orl continuous with the ridges extending in a trulycircumferential direction or parallel to the plane of rotation while the co-operating impression face or faces may be provided With projections, preferably ot' p vramidal shape, meshing Awith the grooves between the ridges on the opposing impression face or faces. From a manufacturing standpoint it is preferable to have the continuous ridges on the type faces and the projections on the face of the platen, as the projections .may readily be formed by a plurality of intersecting grooves and this grooving can be done more readily on the platen than on the type faces. As before suggested, such a` construction lpermits loosely supporting the platen. on lits axis without-any means for controlling its circumferential position, as it will be ready to perform its function in any circumferential position at which it may come to rest.

Described in detail and-with reference to the, drawings, the improved machine has a base 20 and a 'top casing 2l. This top casing is hinged to the base, one of the hinges being shown at 22, Fig. 8, so that the top may be moved relative to the base to give access to the mechanism. Latches, one of whichis shown at 23, Fig. l, prevent movement of the top 21 relative to the base Q() when the'machine is in use. The lower edges of the top casing are cut away. as shown at 24, to provide a slot thru which the paper to be printed upon may be inserted. hinged plate 25 closes the lower part of the hinged 'top 2l and serves as a guide for the paper, 'while a plate 26 secured to the base 20 serves as a Work supporting table. The plates 25 and26 are provided with suitable openings thru which a platen 2 may be raised into position to co-operate with printing type more fully referred to later on.

The platen 27 is in the 'form of a wheel rotatably supported between 'the arms of a yoke 28 secured to a rock shaft 29 journalled in ribs 3() across the base of the machine. Near one end of the shaft 29 is an arm 3l co-operating with a cam 32. For present purposes 'the arm 3l may be considered as being rigid with the shaft 29 and the cam 32 may likewise be considered as being rigid with the shaft 33. As a matter of fact both vthe arm and the cam are adjustable relative to their respective shafts to regulate the impression, but the means for effecting the adjustments need not be described here.

The shaft 33 just mentioned is journalled at its ends in 'the upper portion 2l oi' the casing. Fastened to the shaft 33 near its iaaaroa forward end is a gear 3l meshing With a gear fastened to the inner end of av short shaft 36 journalled in a boss 37, lFig. 3, on the side ofthe casing. At its outer end the shaft 36 is provided `with. an impression or printing handle 38. 'llhe gears 3l and 35 are the same size so that for eac-h full turn of the handle the shaft 33 will also make one complete rotation; j

The printing type previously referred to are arranged in lines as shown at Ill, lFig. l,

. there being one of these lines for each vvord or corresponding matter which the machine is intended to print. rl`he type lines are carried by a plate l2 secured to an element t3, the construction of the type. plate and element 't3 being such that the impression face of each type line lwill be concentric to the center of theshaft 33. The element 43, which, by the Way,is provided 1lvith -end portions ll surrounding the shaft 33, has a rib or corresponding projection d5 engaging a vslot extending longitudinally of the shaft 33, thereby permitting adjustment offthe element/i3 and type plate to did'erent positions along the shaft, but causing them to move with the shaft `when the shaft is turned.

Embracing the element 't3 and type plate l2 attached to the element is a yolre t7 loosely supported by the shaft 33; Secured lto to the yole di' is a yhandle 48 provided with a pointer t9 (zo-operating With a dial or index 5() on the top of the machine. The construction is such that vvhen the pointer 49 is opposite one of the lines on the dial 50 the type line lforprinting the corresponding Word .Will be in -alinement with the platen 27. The handle 38 may'then be operated to turn the shaft 33 and type carrier-i'l l2 to effect a rolling engagement of the selected type line and platen.

j rll`he platen 27 is normally held in the position in which it is shovvn in Fig. 3, but just before any type line reaches the position Where it should begin to co-aet vvith the platen the platen raised by the portion 53 of the cam 32 engaging the arm 3l and rocking the shaft 29 and` platen 27 to raise the platen to printing position. After the printing has been completed the platen is returned to its normal position by a spring 54.

` its so far described in detail, it is apparent that the printing handle 36 might be operated vover and overagain to print from the same type line' lil. lFor reasons eaplained near the beginning of this specitication, it is desirable to prevent sueh repeated or continuous operation of the impression handle as a means for preventing accidental repetition of a word. Theinechanisin for preventing tvvo successive operations ofthe impression handle 33 Without an intervening adjustment of the type car- `the side of the lever 62 limits movement of `the pawl 6in1 one direction, while a pin 67 on the pavvl limits the movement of the pavvlin the opposite direction.

Pivoted to a suitably formed surface on the hub of the yolre t7 is a pavvl 68 connected by a spring 69 with the pin 67 on the pawlf6l. rllhe pavvl 63 is provided with a vshoulder 7l, (Fig. 7), to engage'the edge .of rthe lever 63 and hold the lever in the pos'ition in which it is shown in Fig. 9. ln this position the locking pavvl 61 cannot engage the shoulder on the disc 62.- lvWhen the impression handle 33 is operated, however, Lto rotate the shaft 33.,v a suitably shaped projection 72 'on-the side of the dise 62j will engage the portion 73 of the pavvl 63 androclr the pavvl 63 onits pivot, Whereupon'the spring 69 Will saving the lever 63 onits pivot and bring the point of the loelr-I ing pavvl 6l into position to engage the shoulder on the disc 62 and arrest the shaft 33.

' 'll'he upper end of the to engage lit-shaped notches in a rac-lr or cam bar 7l secured to the inner side of the casing 2l. 'llhe bar 7l is shown insection in Figs. 9 and l0 and indotted outline in vllig. l', After the pavvl 63' has been tripped by the projection 72 and the -pavvl 6l engagedvvith the shoulder on the disc 62, the lll-shaped upper end of the lever 63 `v'vill be i seated in one of the notches in the cam bar 7l. lif the type-selecting handle l@ is then moved in either direction the side ofthe llshaped notch in the earn bar 7l will roch the lever 63 on its pivot and withdraw the paal 6lv from `erngagement with the shoulder on the disc 62. its Will be seen in lFig. 7,'the vshoulder 7l on the pavvl 63 is inclined, and by the time the lever 63 has been 4swung as far as the inclined edge of the notch in act against the end of the pa'wl 6l as a cani to swing the lever 63 on. its pivot in case the proper extent of movement has not already been eli'ected by the action of'the inclined shoulder 71 of the pawl 68.`

From the foregoing it is clear that when theshaft 33 is' turned to vprint from the selected line the'pawl 68 will beswung by the projection 72 to free the lever 68, thereby allowing the lever to swing on itspivot and carry the pawl 61 into engagement with the periphery of the disc 62 so that when the shoulder on the disc engages the end of the pawl further movement of the shaft 33 will be prevented. The 'movement of thel lev'er 63 to carry the pawl (il into effective position also engages the beveled upper edge of the lever 63 with the correspondingly shaped notches in the cam barili, and when the yoke 47 is shifted to select another typeline for printing the cam bar .74, inclined shoulder- .71 on the pawl 68, or the cam portion 75 `of the disc 62 will operate to swing the lever 63 to the position shown. in Fig. 9', in which position the pawl lcannot interfere with rotation of the shaft 33. These operations of the parts are repeated at each opera-tion of the impression handle 38 and adjustment of the type selecting mechanism so that it is impossible to continue the movement of the.

impression. handle and thereby repeat the impression of words where repetition would spoil the check.

As showni in Fig. ll., the illustrative inachine is provided with a're-inking position 77, and a position marked Cancel, shown as '78. The re-inking position o-n the dial corresponds to the groove 79, Fig. 9, in the type plate. lNhen the Vmachine is re-inked by applying ink to rollers 81 and 82 the type seleotor'may beset to the; re-ink position and the handle 38 turned repeatedly` to distribute the ink on the rolls and type. It would of course, be undesirable to have to operate the type selector. to free thelock after each rotation of the handle 38 in reinlring, and for this reason the notch in the Cam bar 74 may be omitted at .the re-ink position, as shown at 83 Fig. l. The notch corresponding to the cancel position may also be omitted (as shown at 84) for the same reason, because in operating the machine for cancelling; a check it is customary to insert the check in the machine and write the word cancel or cancelled repeatedly all the way across the face of the check. Here again it is desirable to make it unnecessary to have to sli-ift the type selecting mechanism between each'rotation of the impression handle. lt is apparent, of course, that while the pawl 68 is tripped at eac-h rotation of the impression handle 38 and shaft 33, the .inclined shoulder on the pawl 68 or the cam portion 75 of the disc 62 will act to swing the lever 63 to the proper posi- These ridges are arranged circumferentially of the type carrier and parallel to the plane. of rotation thereof. The impression l face Vof the platen 'is provided with two sets of grooves,k one extending circumferentially of the platen wheel and parallel to the plane of' rotation of the wheel, while the grooves of thc other set intersect the grooves yof the first setat a right angle, resulting in the formation of a multiplicity of points which are pyramidal in shape, altho the depths of the intersecting ,grooves may be varied so as to makethe tops of these projections fiat or blunt if desired," The construction. is such that the projections on the platen are in circumferentially extending rows meshing with the `grooves in the faces of the type so that as the paper is rolled between the type and platen to print, the projections on the platen will penetrate or perforate the paper as in` dicated in Fig. 6, instead of, as in the older machines, shredding or tearing the paper in slits corresponding to the lengths of the ridges across the faces of the type. The improved construction, therefore, gives results substantially the same as the older construction, so far as solidity of outline ofthe mattery printed is concernedpwhile at the same timethe fact that the paper is 'punctured instead of torn or cut in slits leavesy the in better shape for handling.

It has already been pointed out that this very desirable result is obtained without providing the platen and type with co-opernting points and sockets, and that by being able to get away from this point and socket construction it has been )ossible to avoid using gears or correspon ing connections for maintaining the platen 9.7 in a fixed relation with the type carrier 42. In other words the platen??Y may be freely spun or turned on its axis to any position without interfering with the work of the machine when it is operated to print, a thing which could not well be true if' the co-operating impression faces of the type and platen were constructed on the point and socket plan above mentioned.

ln describing the construction ofthe machine it has been incidentally necessary to describe the operation of the various parts of the mechanism to such an extent that it is paper llt) tama

thought that the statement ot operation .usual at this ypoint may be omitted.

combination with a printing couple comprising a platen and a plurality of type forms for printing characters representing. various monetary values, of means tor operating the printing couple to print selectively from the various forms, and mechanism controlled in turn by said means for preventing successive impressions from any one of said type forms.

Q. in a machine of the class described,- the combination with a printing couple comprising a platen and a type carrier adjustable to bring a plurality of different type forms selectively to printing position, ot means-y tor edecting the adjustments of. the 'typey carrier, means for ed'ecting relatlve printing movements of the platen and carrier,

kand devices operative in any selected positions of the carrier for compelling alternating operation of the type carrier adjusting means and the printing means to print an inscription requiring two or more operations of the printing means.

3. lin a machine of the class described, the combination with a printing couple comprising a platen and a type carrier adjustable to a plurality of diderent printing positions, of means comprising an operating handle for ed'ecting a relative printing movement of the carrier and platen, mechanism rendered etfective by operation ot said means with the type carrier in any of said positions to prevent an immediately following printing operation with the carrier in the same position, and devices for rendering said mechanism inedective by adjustment of the type carrler.

Ll. ln a machine ot the class described, the combination with a printing couple comprising a platen and a type carrier provided with type t'orms for printing the various words used in expressing values, of mechanism comprising an impression handle for operating the printing couple to print from any of the forms, and devices controlled by said mechanism for lockingthe impression handle thereof against operation to print from any one of said type forms in succession.

5. lin a machine ot the class described, the

combination with a plurality of type forms and means for selecting the form to be printed, of mechanism for taking impressions from the selected form. locking devices for said mechanism, means for operating the locking devices by operation of said mechanism to prevent contlnuous operations of the mechanism to print any selected one ot said type forms in succession, and devices for operating the lock by operation of the type selecting means to free the impression taking mechanism for operation.

6. lin a machine of the classs described, the combination with a type carrier provided with a plurality of type forms and means for inking the forms, of a platen common to said forms, the impression faces of the type and platen being constructed to disrupt the fibres of the paper as an incident to the printing, devices for effecting engagement of any desired torm with the platen to print from the said form, and locking mechanism controlled by said devices for preventing the impression of any one of said type forms in succession. i

7. ln a machine of the class described. the combination with a platen, ot a type carrier provided with a.A plurality of word type forms, the impression faces of said type forms and platen being constructed to disrupt the paper as an incident to printing, devices'for inking the type, means for adjusting the type carrier to set any desired titl 'form 1n printing relation with the platen, im-

pression devices for bringing the platen and the selected type form together to print, and locking devices operative with anyone ot said type forms in printing position'and requirlng alternating operatlon of the type carrier adjusting devices and the impression devices to print an inscription comprising two or more words.

8.. ln a machine of the class described, the combination with a rotary platen having its impression tace provided with a plurality of projections arranged in vcircumferential rows, of a rotary type cylinder provided with circumterentially arranged type characters adapted for rolling contact with the face ot the platen, the printing faces of which type characters are provided with ridges extending circumferentially of the carrier, said ridges engaging the platen between the projections thereon during the printing movement of the carrier and platen,

and means for operating the carrier to print from the desired type characters.

ln testimony whereof li afiix my signature.

CHARLES G. lFlElFhla 

